Hawaiʻi lawmakers call Trump’s military action in Venezuela ‘reckless’

US Rep. Jill Tokuda was among the Hawaiʻi lawmakers who criticized the Trump administration’s recent military actions in Venezuela, questioning the financial and human costs of the conflict.

Tokuda, who represents Hawaiʻi’s 2nd Congressional District, issued a statement Saturday arguing that the federal government should prioritize domestic economic concerns over foreign intervention.

“At a time when Americans can’t afford rent, healthcare or groceries, the Trump administration found time and money for regime change in Venezuela, risking a war that Americans don’t want,” Tokuda said.

The congresswoman called for greater transparency regarding the objectives of the military engagement.

“Before we spend another dollar on this reckless conflict, the American people deserve answers, including what this administration’s exit strategy is,” Tokuda said. “Americans wanted help and hope in 2026, not another war.”

According to a news release from the US Department of War, US armed forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, following an overnight joint US military extraction in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas. 

Trump said the military action was at his direction.

“It was an operation against a heavily fortified military fortress in the heart of Caracas to bring outlaw dictator Nicolás Maduro to justice,” he said during a news conference from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.  

The president said both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro, were taken into custody.

They now face criminal court proceedings tied to a 2020 indictment from the US Department of Justice on multiple federal charges, including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.

US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono , a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Maduro should be held accountable for his actions, but argued that “Trump’s unilateral decision to overthrow his regime does nothing to make our country safer.”

Hirono said the action was taken without any authorization from Congress “or any clear plan for what comes next.” She said the developments plunge the nation into a conflict that could put American lives at risk while destabilizing the region and relationships with allies.

“Trump’s characteristically chaotic suggestion that the US is ‘going to run’ Venezuela indefinitely, without any details, shows his disregard for the consequences of decades of misguided American intervention around the world. Trump promised to ‘end forever wars’ and not engage in regime change. As usual, he says one thing and does another,” said Hirono.

Hirono said the American people and the world are left with more questions than answers.

“What comes next for Venezuela? Will Trump invade another sovereign country? Is there any limit to the lawlessness of the Trump regime? I call on the Republicans in Congress to join us in holding the Trump regime accountable for its refusal to obey the rule of law and demanding the answers the American people deserve,” Hirono said in a news release.

US Sen. Brian Schatz, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the operation in Venezuela “illegal and unconstitutional.”

“President Trump is jeopardizing American lives and interests — and stating plainly that the purpose is for US oil companies to make money in Venezuela. Either these companies knew about these plans in advance, or he’s ordering corporations to be a part of his effort to overthrow another government,” said Schatz.

“The United States should not be running other countries for any reason,” he said. “We should have learned by now not to get involved in endless wars and regime change missions that carry catastrophic consequences for Americans.”

US Rep. Ed Case also commented the large-scale military operation overnight in Venezuela.

“Nicholas Maduro is an illegitimate and oppressive dictator and the people of Venezuela deserve better. But that alone doesn’t justify an armed attack on a sovereign country and forced regime change in violation of international law,” said Case.

“And unless there was an imminent threat to our country, it doesn’t justify violating our Constitution and war powers law which wisely reserve to Congress the grave decision to go to war,” Case said in a news release statement. “I don’t yet know the full facts or the President’s justification to attack Venezuela, place our troops in harm’s way, capture Maduro and administer the country.”

Case said, “the precedent of any President taking our country to war arbitrarily, single-handedly and without the approval of Congress has cascading effects that are far more dangerous.”

The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi also condemned President Donald Trump’s military action in Venezuela “unconstitutional.”

“These actions represent a reckless escalation toward war, violate fundamental constitutional limits on executive power, and place civilian lives at risk,” the Party said in a news release.

“Donald Trump campaigned as a so-called ‘peace president,’ yet once again he has chosen escalation, secrecy, and unconstitutional use of military force,” said Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Chair Derek Turbin.

“The scale and scope of the military buildup in the Caribbean, including the deployment of aircraft carriers, long-range bombers, surveillance aircraft, and thousands of troops, far exceed any legitimate drug interdiction mission. Instead, they signal an unlawful regime-change operation with the intention of escalation and the goal of enriching oil corporations and billionaires,” according to a Democratic Party of Hawai’i news release.

“The American people do not support a regime-change war or an open-ended military occupation. Polling consistently shows that a strong majority of Americans oppose military action in Venezuela and believe congressional authorization is required before any such action is taken,” the Party reports.

“The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi stands against dictators and is in support of democracy, self-determination, and human rights. We are firmly committed to peace, the rule of law, and the protection of civilians,” according to the release.

The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi is calling for “an immediate halt to military escalation, full transparency from the administration, and the reassertion of Congress’s constitutional authority over matters of war and peace.”